Fire-kindling composition



"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. KOON, OFT-ROY, NEW YORK.

FlRE- KlNDLlN G COMPOSITION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 278,436, dated May 29, 1883.

Application filed March 23, 11583. i (No specimens.)

1'0 all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. KOON, of the city f Troy, county of Rensselaer, and

State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fire- Kindling Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates toacomposition of combustible ingredients, the proportion in which the latter are used, and the manner in which they are mixed to produce a fire-kindling composition; and my invention consists, as will hereinafter be more fully described, in a combination of broken corncobs, sawdust, tanbark, pitch, resin, kerosene-oil, and paraiiine, mixed inthe proportions and in the manner as subsequently described herein, the object of my improvement being to utilize these wellknown combustiblesin such a mixed proportion of each so as to produce a composition that will burn long enough and hot enough to ignite the coal in the stove when. the kindling is placed beneath the latter, and which will be free from the. objections made to the wellknown combinations of material used for the same purpose. I

It is a well-known fact that when the volatile compounds of hydrocarbon-such as kerosene or parafiine--or when pitch or resin are employed to saturate carbonaceous material for fire-kindling uses, unless mixed with slowerburning combustibles, they burn too rapidly,

the more volatile elements being burned as evolved gases above the coal that they are intended to ignite, and if too large a proportion of pitch or resin isused the mass will adhere, which isobjectionable. To obviate these difficultiesand to produce a composition that will be free from adhesive tendencies, adapted to burn not too fast and still produce heat enough to ignite anthracite coal, in carrying out the purposesofmyinventionIusethefollowingproo portions of material: three bushels of coarsely broken-up corncobs, one peck of sawdust, onehalf peek of tan-bark, six pounds of pitch, four pounds of resin, five quarts of keroseneoil,and three pints of paraftine. To mix these materials the pitch and. resin are melted together, and while warm the parafline is added, and lastly the kerosene-oil. When this has been done the previously-mixed carbonaceous material, consisting of the corncobs, tansbark, and sawdust, is saturated with the liquid pro:

, tion of materials used, the proportion in which each of them is used, inconnection with the manner of uniting them and packing them.

I am well aware that corncobs saturated with kerosene-oil and other hydrocarbons have been used for a like purpose before; and I am also aware that wood-sawdust and spent tanbark have been treated with parafline or resin oil for the same use; hence, independently of my better method of usingthese elements, their combination with others which I employ, and the proportions of the materials used, I disclaim them.

It will be readily understood that the beforenamed older saturations of wood-sawdust and spent tan-bark with paraftine or resin oil,or

corncobs with kerosene-oil, would be unstable, from the volatile characterof all kinds of hydrocarbon liquid; but when such saturations are fixed by proper proportions of resin and pitch they are rendered permanent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

A composition for fire-kindling, consisting of corncobs, sawdust, tan-bark, pitch, resin,

kerosene-oil, and parafline, when mixed together in the proportions named and in the manner set forth, to be packed for use as herein described.

Signed at Troy, N. Y., this 21st day of March, 18 3.

WILLIAM M. KOON.

Witnesses CHARLES S. BRINTNALL, STANLEY M. HOLDEN. 

